JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Police are investigating a stunning act of vandalism. They say someone vandalized part of a Jacksonville cemetery and then stole a box with a woman's ashes inside.
The cemetery was supposed to be the final resting place for a First Coast woman who died of cancer in October, but on Thursday, her family made a disturbing discovery.
“We're feeling disbelief, anger and just heartbreak," Debbie Jackson said.
Jackson says her aunt, Peggy Sears, was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who loved to travel and to be around family.
“We still haven’t recovered," Jackson said. "She passed away from cancer in October, and we still haven’t recovered from that. Then to get this devastating news yesterday morning was just overwhelming.”
A cemetery worker arriving at Hardage-Giddens Greenlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery in the Spring Park neighborhood of Jacksonville was shocked to see the box containing Peggy's ashes was gone.
“We had already lost her once, and we get the phone call saying that someone had stolen her ashes, which was just absolutely outrageous," Jackson said.
There are no surveillance cameras in that part of the cemetery.
“The only thing I could possibly fathom would be that maybe they thought they were valuables like her jewelry or something in there," Jackson said.
Sears' family has this message as they grieve her loss again.
“We lost her twice, and it’s very sad," Jackson said. "It’s a horrible thing that somebody would do. We just begging you if anybody knows anything just bring her back to us.”
A representative from Hardage-Giddens Greenlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery sent First Coast News the following statement:
“Yesterday morning damages were discovered within the cemetery and local authorities were notified immediately. It saddens us that a thief would prey on our cemetery by committing this crime. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to share any additional details related to this matter.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to give them a call.